MACKINAW CITY

Trip Day:	144	Latitude:	45° 46.84 ' N	Locks Today:	0
Miles Today:	16	Longitude:	084°43.40 ' W	Locks Total:	81
Total Miles:	2,955	Location:	Mackinaw City, MI

We awakened to threatening skies and within 30 minutes we closed all hatches as the thunderstorm rolled by.  It’s always nice to be in a marina when the strong, gusty winds with lightening and thunder hit.  It didn’t take too long for the squall line to pass so Ron set about getting the bikes out of the locker so we could go into town.  Downtown Cheboygan was larger than we anticipated, nicely maintained with baskets of flowers on the line of street lights along the sidewalks.  We stopped in at Alice’s Restaurant for breakfast and a chat with some of the locals.  Ron’s Aunt Lois and her husband, Ralph, lived in Cheboygan—they were avid snowmobile fans who travelled with a club each winter.

 

We had a nice long bike ride downtown enjoying the street art, along the river and then to the park on the point so we could assess the weather conditions.  We decided the wind and seas were okay for the 15 mile run to Mackinaw City since we could hug the shoreline.  We received a text from Marc and Betty that they had turned back from crossing to Mackinaw City due to high seas.  High winds are  predicted for the next few days so we have made peace with staying in the marina if necessary. 

About 12 miles into the trip another squall line approached—we never got rain, but we had wind gust up to 25 kts and were taking waves over the bow for a period of 30 minutes.  We were glad to approach the breakwater of Mackinaw City Marina!  Approaching our assigned slip, we questioned the fit for our boat, but all the transient docks were high.  In order to get off the boat we had to stand on the top deck then climb the suspended ladders—very interesting!

Shortly after registering we were on our bikes and off to play tourist.  The Mackinaw bridge, built in 1957, is touted to be the largest suspended bridge in the world.

The Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse was     designed for two light tenders and their      families with a duplex of three-bedroom units.  The lighthouse has been warning  sailors of the dangerous shoals of the Mackinac Straits since 1889.  For tenders, it was considered the el primo assignment;  mainly because the lighthouse sits on shore with all the conveniences of the town, including doctors and schools for the kids.   

We enjoyed the tour of the lighthouse and views from the top.  It was probably not a good idea for Jean to see the movie about all the shipwrecks in the area—most dating back to the  1800s, but some were as recent as the mid 1900s.  We’re talking big ships, not little 33ft sailboats!